Take Me To Texas: 2016 Vacation

Six weeks ago Blake and I were eating lunch together complaining about the weather. Every single winter Blake and I get a little stir crazy and vow to leave this place and never come back. Move away, out west, and escape the six months of winter Ohio blesses us with. While reality keeps us from moving (at the moment), nothing was stopping us from a temporary break from the bleakness in the form of a visit to Houston, Texas. So we texted his aunt, who lives in a beautiful suburb of Houston, let her know that we were coming, and booked a plane!

Blake and I had a wonderful 5 days of bliss in balmy 75 degree weather hanging out with the family and exploring the city of Houston (even though we didn’t venture far outside the Museum District). Here’s an overview of the week – there was a lot I didn’t capture on camera because part of being on vacation means putting the camera down and enjoying the moments you’re in.

Saturday April 26th:

We spent most of the day traveling (boarding a plane in Columbus at 6:30am and landing in Houston at 2:3opm) and then hopped in a car to drive up to Brenham, TX for a styled shoot I had set up with some amazing vendors in The Lone Star state. I have to keep those photos under wraps for a little while longer, but I’ll be sure to share them on here as soon as I can!

Sunday April 27th:

Happy Easter! We spent the day relaxing around the house catching up with Blake’s family. Played cards, board games, and marco polo in the pool. Started (and gave up on) a puzzle. Before dinner we ran down to Rob Fleming Park for some very quick family pictures. After we returned we ate a delicious home cooked meal with home made ice cream and called it a wonderful night.

Monday April 28th:

At dinner the night before we talked to Blake’s aunt and uncle about things to do in Houston and the museum district was mentioned. Blake and I both love going to museums so we immediately decided we should spend our first real day in Houston strolling through the Museum of Fine Arts and Modern Arts. But unfortunately neither of us are really planners when it comes to vacation, so after driving the hour in to the museums, we pull in to find the parking lot surprisingly – empty. Apparently Mondays are the only day the museums are closed. Oops. So we found a nearby map and discovered that one museum was still open – The Holocaust Museum of Houston.

Although it was not originally what we intended on doing that day, I am so glad we ended up going. The museum was beautiful and heartbreaking. They only allowed photos to be taken outside of the museum, so I don’t have many pictures from that day and even the photos I did take, do not do the experience justice. If you’re ever in Houston on a Monday – I highly recommend taking a trip to the HMH.

Tuesday April 29th:

Tuesday was another relaxing day around the house. We stayed in bed in the morning and watched some Friday Night Lights then ventured downstairs around 10. I hung out by the pool and edited for a little bit while Blake went to a nearby gym to rock climb. When Blake’s cousins got out of school in the afternoon we took a trip to The Woodlands Mall.

Wednesday April 30th:

Wednesday was our last full day in Texas and we were determined to take another stab at the museum district. So we got up early and grabbed breakfast at the AH-MAZING Levure Bakery & Patisserie in Tomball, TX before heading into Houston.

First stop was the Houston Center for Photography – a small building with a couple front showrooms and a massive collection of books on photography in the back. If we had more time I could have spent hours in there pouring through all of the books.

Then it was off to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. They currently have an exhibit called “Sculpted in Steel” that shows off the art deco influences on cars and motorcycles in the 30s and 40s. I am not really a fan of cars (although I do enjoy a good episode of Top Gear), but being a lover of art deco, I was amazed at the lines and curves of some of these cars!

MFAH is split between two buildings – one houses antiquities and American/European art while the other houses African/Asian art. Unfortunately we only had time to go through the first building with the Western art, but it was absolutely incredible to see it all up close.

Blake always teases me because I’m not “cultured” – I’ll take a pop song over a sonata any day and I don’t really understand “art”. I like sculptures and paintings that looks like photos. So I’m always drawn toward the realism through the 1800s than the impressionism/expressionism/and all those other ism’s of more modern times. But I did find a few pieces with bright colors that caught my eye.

One of the last rooms we walked in to I named “the bad hair room”. See how cultured I am?

On the way out of the museum we swung through the hallway of photography just for fun and I loved this series of photographs taken in constructions sites in California. I’ve unfortunately forgotten the name of the photographer.

After the museum we took the girls climbing at inSPIRE Rock Gym. And by we, I mean Blake took them climbing while I kept my feet planted firmly on the ground.

Whew! That’s it! We flew out the next afternoon back to the bitter cold of Ohio and have been wanting to go back to Texas ever since! Our next adventure will be out to the east coast in July so stay tuned for more vacation pictures then!

Keep smiling!
Kaylina